At first glance, there's not much to the title of Looking for Alaska. Some may even wonder why you have to look for a state, I mean all there is to it is a quick glance at a map after all. However I think the simplicity of the title creates an intruiging effect- sort of like when a math problem is so easy, you begin to question whether you did it right or not. It draws readers in, it encourages them to consider what the plot is about. To truly understand the significance of the title, the novel must be read, from beginning to end. The plot has everything to do with the title. For example, when reading the novel, it can be noted that the title doesn't actually refer to a state, but a rather an actual girl whose name is Alaska Young. To be able to explain the importance of the novel, some spoilers have to be disclosed, so SPOILER ALERT-Alaska dies. Her death is extremely important to the novel and the title's significance. When she dies, she is drunk driving and runs right into a cop car, thus causing her death. The mysterious thing about her death however is the fact that she didn't attempt to swerve away from the car. Yes, she was intoxicated, but that doesn't necessarily mean she wouldn't be able to simply turn her wheel so she didn't hit the stopped car. The vehicle was in plain sight and she ran straight into it, with no hesitation. This leads to the question of whether or not this was a suicide.
This is where the title comes into play. Because of the fact that Alaska's dearest friends don't know whether she took her own life or not, they are forced to look for answers themselves. To truly understand what Alaska was thinking at the moment of her death, Pudge and his friends must look farther than the surface of her. They have to actually look for Alaska, they have to search for her and for what pain was actually inside of her. They have to look for a deeper meaning to her death, rather than she was simply driving under the influence. They have to really understand her and her pain, they must look for Alaska, they must look for what their dear friend wished of her life, and they must look deep down into what was inside of her. This is why the title is important, because to fully understand her death, you have to look for Alaska.
This is where the title comes into play. Because of the fact that Alaska's dearest friends don't know whether she took her own life or not, they are forced to look for answers themselves. To truly understand what Alaska was thinking at the moment of her death, Pudge and his friends must look farther than the surface of her. They have to actually look for Alaska, they have to search for her and for what pain was actually inside of her. They have to look for a deeper meaning to her death, rather than she was simply driving under the influence. They have to really understand her and her pain, they must look for Alaska, they must look for what their dear friend wished of her life, and they must look deep down into what was inside of her. This is why the title is important, because to fully understand her death, you have to look for Alaska.